Depo Medrol vs Prednisone

I need to make a choice about whether to continue Cheeks (4-year-old
shelter rescue, female, spayed, and with beautiful intact little
feets! ) on Depo shots or do prednisone pills for her asthma and
linear granuloma (rodent ulcer) problem.

One shot every two to three months keeps both under control. My vet
tells me that is not a lot of Depo, so that she is not at a high risk
for side effects. However, there are side effects with Depo including
increased diabetes rates in cats so inclined and impaired liver and
kidney function.

He told me today that oral Prednisone is less likely to cause the
liver and kidney problems than the Depo shots, but that otherwise it
has the same risk of side effects as Depo shots.

He also told me that oral Prednisone will be fine for her asthma but
will not do as good a job controlling her linear granuloma. He added
that since linear granuloma is not life threatening, perhaps that does
not matter so much to me. However, those little bumps Cheeky gets on
the back of her legs bother her, she scratches and bites there a lot.
And, I really hate to see those little blackhead-like bumps on her
beautiful little nose.

Here are the questions: have any of you had cats who needed long-term
steroids? Did any of them develop side effects from either quarterly
Depo Medrol shots or long-term use of oral prednisone? If so, what
happened?

Any opinions on what I ought to do are welcome. I appreciate your
input and thank you in advance.

Mary wrote in . com on 02
Feb 2004:

He told me today that oral Prednisone is less likely to cause the
liver and kidney problems than the Depo shots, but that otherwise it
has the same risk of side effects as Depo shots.

Our vet said the exact opposite. Shamrock gets Depo shots for his
allergies. Prednisone would be used more consistantly, while depo shots
are given "as needed". FTR, Shamrock is so far doing OK with
antihistamines. He gets a little spacey sometimes, but one spot actually
cleared up on its own without steroids. Another flare-up *did* require a
depo shot, but the vet was surprised about that one spot.

--
Cheryl

Trapped like rats. In a chia-pet.
MIB II

Mary wrote in . com on 02
Feb 2004:

He told me today that oral Prednisone is less likely to cause the
liver and kidney problems than the Depo shots, but that otherwise it
has the same risk of side effects as Depo shots.

Our vet said the exact opposite. Shamrock gets Depo shots for his
allergies. Prednisone would be used more consistantly, while depo shots
are given "as needed". FTR, Shamrock is so far doing OK with
antihistamines. He gets a little spacey sometimes, but one spot actually
cleared up on its own without steroids. Another flare-up *did* require a
depo shot, but the vet was surprised about that one spot.

--
Cheryl

Trapped like rats. In a chia-pet.
MIB II

"Cheryl" wrote in message
...
Mary wrote in . com
on 02
Feb 2004:

He told me today that oral Prednisone is less likely to cause the
liver and kidney problems than the Depo shots, but that otherwise
it
has the same risk of side effects as Depo shots.

Our vet said the exact opposite. Shamrock gets Depo shots for his
allergies. Prednisone would be used more consistantly, while depo
shots
are given "as needed". FTR, Shamrock is so far doing OK with
antihistamines. He gets a little spacey sometimes, but one spot
actually
cleared up on its own without steroids. Another flare-up *did*
require a
depo shot, but the vet was surprised about that one spot.

Cheryl--what sort of "spot?" Does Shamrock have linear granuloma too?
I know it correlates with allergies. Does Shamrock have asthma, and if
not, what are his allergies? Also, please tell me more about these
antihistamines, nobody has offered that as an option. Thank you.

"Cheryl" wrote in message
...
Mary wrote in . com
on 02
Feb 2004:

He told me today that oral Prednisone is less likely to cause the
liver and kidney problems than the Depo shots, but that otherwise
it
has the same risk of side effects as Depo shots.

Our vet said the exact opposite. Shamrock gets Depo shots for his
allergies. Prednisone would be used more consistantly, while depo
shots
are given "as needed". FTR, Shamrock is so far doing OK with
antihistamines. He gets a little spacey sometimes, but one spot
actually
cleared up on its own without steroids. Another flare-up *did*
require a
depo shot, but the vet was surprised about that one spot.

Cheryl--what sort of "spot?" Does Shamrock have linear granuloma too?
I know it correlates with allergies. Does Shamrock have asthma, and if
not, what are his allergies? Also, please tell me more about these
antihistamines, nobody has offered that as an option. Thank you.

"Cheryl" wrote in message
...
Mary wrote in . com on 02
Feb 2004:

He told me today that oral Prednisone is less likely to cause the
liver and kidney problems than the Depo shots, but that otherwise it
has the same risk of side effects as Depo shots.

Our vet said the exact opposite. Shamrock gets Depo shots for his
allergies. Prednisone would be used more consistantly, while depo shots
are given "as needed". FTR, Shamrock is so far doing OK with
antihistamines. He gets a little spacey sometimes, but one spot actually
cleared up on its own without steroids. Another flare-up *did* require a
depo shot, but the vet was surprised about that one spot.

Do you know what Shamrock is allergic to?

"Cheryl" wrote in message
...
Mary wrote in . com on 02
Feb 2004:

He told me today that oral Prednisone is less likely to cause the
liver and kidney problems than the Depo shots, but that otherwise it
has the same risk of side effects as Depo shots.

Our vet said the exact opposite. Shamrock gets Depo shots for his
allergies. Prednisone would be used more consistantly, while depo shots
are given "as needed". FTR, Shamrock is so far doing OK with
antihistamines. He gets a little spacey sometimes, but one spot actually
cleared up on its own without steroids. Another flare-up *did* require a
depo shot, but the vet was surprised about that one spot.

Do you know what Shamrock is allergic to?

Mary wrote in om on 02
Feb 2004:


Cheryl--what sort of "spot?" Does Shamrock have linear granuloma too?
I know it correlates with allergies. Does Shamrock have asthma, and if
not, what are his allergies? Also, please tell me more about these
antihistamines, nobody has offered that as an option. Thank you.

Shamrock breaks out in lesions and this has been constant since before I
even got him -- he had lesions when I was first asked to foster him. It was
suspected that he had flea allergies but when a year went by of keeping him
dosed with Advantage like clockwork (even off season), and he'd been
examined by different vets MULTIPLE times combing him for fleas or flea
dirt, had a skin scrape for mites, cultured for ringworm, and all the while
had to have depo shots every 2-3 months (which he always responded to
quickly), never a flea was found either on him, in my house or on the other
cats. Finally his newest vet diagnosed EGC (eosinophilic granuloma
complex) by elimination. I read up on this and found the following article
which is why I asked about antihistamines:
http://www.vin.com/proceedings/Proce...A2002&PID=2544

"Two groups of "alternative" therapies, most of which have been tried in
small numbers of cases, only in prospective studies or have been
empirically / anecdotally reported as effective, are available.

The first group of "alternative" treatments includes antihistamines and
essential fatty acids. These drugs have few reported potential side effects
but also few possibilities to work in case of lack of therapeutic efficacy
of glucocorticoids. "

Another article stated that sometimes finding the right antihistamine can
be trial and error, because while one may have no effect, another might be
the right one. I asked the vet about Chlortrimeton
(Chlorpheniramine) because of another article I read and she agreed it was
worth a shot and gave me the dosage information for him. She said she'd had
good results with dogs more than cats with this, but to go ahead and try
it. He also is on EFA suppliments (from the vets office, but similar
to DermCaps) based on the vin article and a few others who'd stated the
same thing.

--
Cheryl

Trapped like rats. In a chia-pet.
MIB II

Mary wrote in om on 02
Feb 2004:


Cheryl--what sort of "spot?" Does Shamrock have linear granuloma too?
I know it correlates with allergies. Does Shamrock have asthma, and if
not, what are his allergies? Also, please tell me more about these
antihistamines, nobody has offered that as an option. Thank you.

Shamrock breaks out in lesions and this has been constant since before I
even got him -- he had lesions when I was first asked to foster him. It was
suspected that he had flea allergies but when a year went by of keeping him
dosed with Advantage like clockwork (even off season), and he'd been
examined by different vets MULTIPLE times combing him for fleas or flea
dirt, had a skin scrape for mites, cultured for ringworm, and all the while
had to have depo shots every 2-3 months (which he always responded to
quickly), never a flea was found either on him, in my house or on the other
cats. Finally his newest vet diagnosed EGC (eosinophilic granuloma
complex) by elimination. I read up on this and found the following article
which is why I asked about antihistamines:
http://www.vin.com/proceedings/Proce...A2002&PID=2544

"Two groups of "alternative" therapies, most of which have been tried in
small numbers of cases, only in prospective studies or have been
empirically / anecdotally reported as effective, are available.

The first group of "alternative" treatments includes antihistamines and
essential fatty acids. These drugs have few reported potential side effects
but also few possibilities to work in case of lack of therapeutic efficacy
of glucocorticoids. "

Another article stated that sometimes finding the right antihistamine can
be trial and error, because while one may have no effect, another might be
the right one. I asked the vet about Chlortrimeton
(Chlorpheniramine) because of another article I read and she agreed it was
worth a shot and gave me the dosage information for him. She said she'd had
good results with dogs more than cats with this, but to go ahead and try
it. He also is on EFA suppliments (from the vets office, but similar
to DermCaps) based on the vin article and a few others who'd stated the
same thing.

--
Cheryl

Trapped like rats. In a chia-pet.
MIB II

Wendy wrote in on 02 Feb 2004:

Do you know what Shamrock is allergic to?

No clue. Fleas were ruled out, it could be environmental (household
allergies) but he was a stray before I got him and lived outdoors for some
time before the caretaker took him to the HS. That certainly doesn't rule
out allergens that come into the house from the outdoors but I haven't
narrowed it down. I vaccum often and while I don't have a HEPA air
cleaner, I have another type that is supposed to elliminate household
allergens. It could also be food because I couldn't complete the food
trial so I feed him canned food with as few grains as possible (that he
will eat!). Tuna seemed to cause a flare-up a while back so I don't give
him any food with fish.

--
Cheryl

Trapped like rats. In a chia-pet.
MIB II